Overview

I have found this book to be a very useful classroom text, as well as a great Linux resource. It teaches Linux using a ground-up approach that gives students the chance to progress with their skills and grow into the Linux world. I have often pointed to this book when asked to recommend a solid Linux reference. -Eric Hartwell, Chair, School of Information Technology, ITT Technical Institute The #1 Fedora and RHEL resource-a tutorial AND on-the-job reference Master Linux administration and security using GUI-based tools, the command line, and Perl scripts Set up key Internet servers, step by step, including Samba, Apache, sendmail, DNS, LDAP, FTP, and more Master All the Techniques You Need to Succeed with Fedora (TM) and Red Hat (R) Enterprise Linux (R) In this book, one of the world's leading Linux experts brings together all the knowledge you need to master Fedora or Red Hat Enterprise Linux and succeed with it in the real world. Best-selling author Mark Sobell explains Linux clearly and effectively, focusing on skills you'll actually use as a user, programmer, or administrator. Now an even more versatile learning resource, this edition adds skill objectives at the beginning of each chapter. Sobell assumes no prior Linux knowledge. He starts at the beginning and walks you through every topic and task that matters, using easy-to-understand examples. Step by step, you'll learn how to install and configure Linux from the accompanying DVD, navigate its graphical user interface, provide file/print sharing, configure network servers, secure Linux desktops and networks, work with the command line, administer Linux efficiently, and even automate administration with Perl scripts. Mark Sobell has taught hundreds of thousands of Linux and UNIX professionals. He knows every Linux nook and cranny-and he never forgets what it's like to be new to Linux. Whatever you want to do with Linux-now or in the future-you'll find it here. Compared with the other Linux books out there, A Practical Guide to Fedora (TM) and Red Hat (R) Enterprise Linux (R), Sixth Edition, delivers Complete, up-to-the-minute coverage of Fedora 15 and RHEL 6 State-of-the-art security techniques, including up-to-date firewall setup techniques using system-config-firewall and iptables, and a full chapter on OpenSSH (ssh) Coverage of crucial topics such as using su and sudo, and working with the new systemd init daemon Comprehensive coverage of the command line and key system GUI tools More practical coverage of file sharing using Samba, NFS, and FTP Superior coverage of automating administration with Perl More usable, realistic coverage of Internet server configuration, including Apache (Web), sendmail, NFSv4, DNS/BIND, and LDAP, plus new coverage of IPv6 More and better coverage of system/network administration tasks, including network monitoring with Cacti Deeper coverage of essential administration tasks-from managing users to CUPS printing, configuring LANs to building a kernel Complete instructions on keeping Linux systems up-to-date using yum And much more, including a 500+ term glossary and comprehensive indexes Includes DVD! Get the full version of the Fedora 15 release!

Full Product Details

Author:   Mark G. Sobell
Publisher:   Pearson Education (US)
Imprint:   Prentice Hall
Edition:   6th edition
Dimensions:   Width: 18.90cm , Height: 4.30cm , Length: 22.70cm
Weight:   1.750kg
ISBN:  

9780132757270

ISBN 10:   0132757273
Pages:   1224
Publication Date:   25 August 2011
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Replaced By:   9780133477436
Format:   Mixed media product
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Table of Contents

List of JumpStarts xxxix Preface xli Chapter 1: Welcome to Linux 1 The History of UNIX and GNU-Linux 2 What Is so Good About Linux? 6 Overview of Linux 11 Additional Features of Linux 16 Conventions Used in This Book 18 Chapter Summary 20 Exercises 20 Part I: Installing Fedora/RHEL Linux 23 Chapter 2: Installation Overview 25 The Desktop Live CD and the Install DVD 26 More Information 27 Planning the Installation 28 The Installation Process 43 Downloading and Burning a CD/DVD 44 Gathering Information About the System 48 Chapter Summary 49 Exercises 50 Advanced Exercises 50 Chapter 3: Step-by-Step Installation 51 Running a Fedora Live Session 52 Installing Fedora/RHEL 54 Installation Tasks 67 gnome-control-center/Displays: Configures the Display 85 Chapter Summary 85 Exercises 86 Advanced Exercises 86 Part II: Getting Started with Fedora/RHEL 87 Chapter 4: Introduction to Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 89 Curbing Your Power (Superuser/root Privileges) 90 A Tour of the Fedora/RHEL Desktop 90 Getting the Most Out of the Desktop 112 Updating, Installing, and Removing Software Packages 122 Where to Find Documentation 125 More About Logging In 134 Working from the Command Line 139 Chapter Summary 142 Exercises 143 Advanced Exercises 144 Chapter 5: The Linux Utilities 145 Special Characters 146 Basic Utilities 147 Working with Files 149 | (Pipe): Communicates Between Processes 156 Four More Utilities 157 Compressing and Archiving Files 159 Locating Utilities 164 Displaying User and System Information 166 Communicating with Other Users 170 Email 171 Tutorial: Using vim to Create and Edit a File 172 Chapter Summary 179 Exercises 182 Advanced Exercises 183 Chapter 6: The Linux Filesystem 185 The Hierarchical Filesystem 186 Directory Files and Ordinary Files 187 Pathnames 191 Working with Directories 194 Access Permissions 202 ACLs: Access Control Lists 208 Links 213 Chapter Summary 219 Exercises 221 Advanced Exercises 222 Chapter 7: The Shell 225 The Command Line 226 Standard Input and Standard Output 232 Running a Command in the Background 242 Filename Generation/Pathname Expansion 244 Builtins 249 Chapter Summary 250 Exercises 251 Advanced Exercises 252 Part III: Digging into Fedora/RHEL 255 Chapter 8: Linux GUIs: X and GNOME 257 X Window System 258 The Nautilus File Browser Window 266 The Nautilus Spatial View (RHEL) 272 GNOME Utilities 273 Chapter Summary 277 Exercises 277 Advanced Exercises 278 Chapter 9: The Bourne Again Shell 279 Background 280 Shell Basics 281 Parameters and Variables 301 Special Characters 315 Processes 316 History 319 Aliases 334 Functions 338 Controlling bash: Features and Options 340 Processing the Command Line 344 Chapter Summary 354 Exercises 356 Advanced Exercises 357 Chapter 10: Networking and the Internet 359 Introduction to Networking 360 Types of Networks and How They Work 362 Communicate Over a Network 381 Network Utilities 382 Distributed Computing 390 WWW: World Wide Web 400 Chapter Summary 402 Exercises 403 Advanced Exercises 404 Part IV: System Administration 405 Chapter 11: System Administration: Core Concepts 407 Running Commands with root Privileges 409 The init Daemon 426 System Operation 448 Rescue Installed System 457 Securing a System 458 System Administration Tools 469 Setting Up a Server 477 DHCP: Configures Network Interfaces 489 nsswitch.conf: Which Service to Look at First 494 Getting Help 497 Chapter Summary 497 Exercises 498 Advanced Exercises 499 Chapter 12: Files, Directories, and Filesystems 501 Important Files and Directories 502 File Types 514 Filesystems 519 Chapter Summary 528 Exercises 528 Advanced Exercises 528 Chapter 13: Finding, Downloading, and Installing Software 531 Introduction 532 JumpStart: Installing and Removing Packages Using yum 534 Finding the Package That Holds an Application or File You Need 537 yum: Keeps the System Up-to-Date 538 BitTorrent 545 RPM: The RPM Package Manager 547 Installing Non-rpm Software 551 Keeping Software Up-to-Date 553 wget: Downloads Files Noninteractively 555 Chapter Summary 556 Exercises 557 Advanced Exercises 557 Chapter 14: Printing with CUPS 559 Introduction 560 Fedora/RHEL Configures a Local Printer Automatically 562 JumpStart I: Configuring a Printer Using system-config-printer 562 JumpStart II: Setting Up a Local or Remote Printer 565 Working with the CUPS Web Interface 568 Configuring Printers 570 Traditional UNIX Printing 577 Print from Windows 579 Printing to Windows 581 Chapter Summary 581 Exercises 582 Advanced Exercises 582 Chapter 15: Building a Linux Kernel 583 Downloading, Installing, and Prepping the Kernel Source Code 585 Configuring and Compiling the Linux Kernel 588 Installing the Kernel, Modules, and Associated Files 594 GRUB: The Linux Boot Loader 595 dmesg: Displays Kernel Messages 597 Chapter Summary 598 Exercises 598 Advanced Exercises 599 Chapter 16: Administration Tasks 601 Configuring User and Group Accounts 602 Backing Up Files 605 Scheduling Tasks 611 System Reports 615 Maintaining the System 617 MySQL 635 Chapter Summary 643 Exercises 643 Advanced Exercises 644 Chapter 17: Configuring and Monitoring a LAN 645 Setting Up the Hardware 646 Configuring the Systems 650 NetworkManager: Configures Network Connections 651 Setting Up Servers 656 Introduction to Cacti 657 More Information 668 Chapter Summary 668 Exercises 669 Advanced Exercises 669 Part V: Using Clients and Setting Up Servers 671 Chapter 18: OpenSSH: Secure Network Communication 673 Introduction to OpenSSH 674 Running the ssh, scp, and sftp OpenSSH Clients 677 Setting Up an OpenSSH Server (sshd) 688 Troubleshooting 695 Tunneling/Port Forwarding 696 Chapter Summary 698 Exercises 699 Advanced Exercises 699 Chapter 19 FTP: Transferring Files Across a Network 701 Introduction to FTP 702 Running the ftp and sftp FTP Clients 704 Setting Up an FTP Server (vsftpd) 712 Chapter Summary 726 Exercises 726 Advanced Exercises 726 Chapter 20: sendmail: Setting Up Mail Servers, Clients, and More 729 Introduction to sendmail 730 Setting Up a sendmail Mail Server 732 JumpStart I: Configuring sendmail on a Client 733 JumpStart II: Configuring sendmail on a Server 734 Working with sendmail Messages 735 Configuring sendmail 739 SpamAssassin 744 Additional Email Tools 749 Authenticated Relaying 754 Chapter Summary 756 Exercises 757 Advanced Exercises 757 Chapter 21: NIS and LDAP 759 Introduction to NIS 760 Running an NIS Client 763 Setting Up an NIS Server 769 LDAP 776 Setting Up an LDAP Server 779 Tools for Working with LDAP 784 Chapter Summary 788 Exercises 789 Advanced Exercises 789 Chapter 22: NFS: Sharing Directory Hierarchies 791 Introduction to NFS 793 Running an NFS Client 795 Setting Up an NFS Server 801 automount: Mounts Directory Hierarchies on Demand 811 Chapter Summary 814 Exercises 815 Advanced Exercises 815 Chapter 23: Samba: Linux and Windows File and Printer Sharing 817 Introduction to Samba 818 Running Samba Clients 822 Setting Up a Samba Server 826 Troubleshooting 840 Chapter Summary 843 Exercises 844 Advanced Exercises 844 Chapter 24: DNS/BIND: Tracking Domain Names and Addresses 845 Introduction to DNS 846 Setting Up a DNS Server 858 Configuring a DNS Server 866 Setting Up Different Types of DNS Servers 879 Chapter Summary 889 Exercises 890 Advanced Exercises 890 Chapter 25: system-config-firewall and iptables: Setting Up a Firewall 891 JumpStart: Building a Firewall Using system-config-firewall 893 Introduction to iptables 895 Building a Set of Rules Using iptables 902 Copying Rules to and from the Kernel 908 system-config-firewall: Generates a Set of Rules 909 Sharing an Internet Connection Using NAT 910 Chapter Summary 914 Exercises 914 Advanced Exercises 915 Chapter 26: Apache (httpd): Setting Up a Web Server 917 Introduction 918 Running an Apache Web Server 920 Filesystem Layout 923 Configuration Directives 925 The Fedora/RHEL httpd.conf File 947 Advanced Configuration 950 Troubleshooting 956 Modules 957 webalizer: Analyzes Web Traffic 963 MRTG: Monitors Traffic Loads 964 Error Codes 964 Chapter Summary 965 Exercises 965 Advanced Exercises 966 Part VI: Programming Tools 967 Chapter 27: Programming the Bourne Again Shell 969 Control Structures 971 File Descriptors 1003 Parameters and Variables 1006 Builtin Commands 1018 Expressions 1032 Shell Programs 1040 Chapter Summary 1050 Exercises 1052 Advanced Exercises 1053 Chapter 28: The Perl Scripting Language 1057 Introduction to Perl 1058 Variables 1066 Control Structures 1073 Working with Files 1082 Sort 1086 Subroutines 1087 Regular Expressions 1090 CPAN Modules 1095 Examples 1098 Chapter Summary 1101 Exercises 1102 Advanced Exercises 1102 Part VII: Appendixes 1103 Appendix A: Regular Expressions 1105 Characters 1106 Delimiters 1106 Simple Strings 1106 Special Characters 1106 Rules 1109 Bracketing Expressions 1110 The Replacement String 1110 Extended Regular Expressions 1111 Appendix Summary 1113 Appendix B: Help 1115 Solving a Problem 1116 Finding Linux-Related Information 1117 Specifying a Terminal 1122 Appendix C: Security 1125 Encryption 1126 File Security 1131 Email Security 1131 Network Security 1132 Host Security 1135 Security Resources 1140 Appendix Summary 1143 Appendix D: The Free Software Definition 1145 Glossary 1149 JumpStart Index 1199 File Tree Index 1201 Utility Index 1205 Main Index 1211

Reviews

Praise for Previous Editions of A Practical Guide to Fedora(t) and Red Hat(R) Enterprise Linux(R) Since I'm in an educational environment, I found the content of Sobell's book to be right on target and very helpful for anyone managing Linux in the enterprise. His style of writing is very clear. He builds up to the chapter exercises, which I find to be relevant to real-world scenarios a user or admin would encounter. An IT/IS student would find this book a valuable complement to their education. The vast amount of information is extremely well balanced and Sobell manages to present the content without complicated asides and meandering prose. This is a 'must have' for anyone managing Linux systems in a networked environment or anyone running a Linux server. I would also highly recommend it to an experienced computer user who is moving to the Linux platform. -Mary Norbury, IT Director, Barbara Davis Center, University of Colorado at Denver, from a review posted on slashdot.org I had the chance to use your UNIX books when I when was in college years ago at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA. I have to say that your books are among the best! They're quality books that teach the theoretical aspects and applications of the operating system. -Benton Chan, IS Engineer The book has more than lived up to my expectations from the many reviews I read, even though it targets FC2. I have found something very rare with your book: It doesn't read like the standard technical text, it reads more like a story. It's a pleasure to read and hard to put down. Did I say that?! :-) -David Hopkins, Business Process Architect Thanks for your work and for the book you wrote. There are really few books that can help people to become more efficient administrators of different workstations. We hope (in Russia) that you will continue bringing us a new level of understanding of Linux/UNIX systems. -Anton Petukhov Mark Sobell has written a book as approachable as it is authoritative. -Jeffrey Bianchine, Advocate, Author, Journalist Excellent reference book, well suited for the sysadmin of a Linux cluster, or the owner of a PC contemplating installing a recent stable Linux. Don't be put off by the daunting heft of the book. Sobell has striven to be as inclusive as possible, in trying to anticipate your system administration needs. -Wes Boudville, Inventor A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) is a brilliant book. Thank you, Mark Sobell. -C. Pozrikidis, University of California at San Diego This book presents the best overview of the Linux operating system that I have found... [It] should be very helpful and understandable no matter what the reader's background: traditional UNIX user, new Linux devotee, or even Windows user. Each topic is presented in a clear, complete fashion and very few assumptions are made about what the reader knows... The book is extremely useful as a reference, as it contains a 70-page glossary of terms and is very well indexed. It is organized in such a way that the reader can focus on simple tasks without having to wade through more advanced topics until they are ready. -Cam Marshall, Marshall Information Service LLC, Member of Front Range UNIX Users Group [FRUUG], Boulder, Colorado Conclusively, this is THE book to get if you are a new Linux user and you just got into RH/Fedora world. There's no other book that discusses so many different topics and in such depth. -Eugenia Loli-Queru, Editor in Chief, OSNews.com Praise for Other Books by Mark G. Sobell This book is a very useful tool for anyone who wants to 'look under the hood' so to speak, and really start putting the power of Linux to work. What I find particularly frustrating about man pages is that they never include examples. Sobell, on the other hand, outlines very clearly what the command does and then gives several common, easy-to-understand examples that make it a breeze to start shell programming on one's own. As with Sobell's other works, this is simple, straightforward, and easy to read. It's a great book and will stay on the shelf at easy arm's reach for a long time. -Ray Bartlett, Travel Writer Overall I found this book to be quite excellent, and it has earned a spot on the very front of my bookshelf. It covers the real 'guts' of Linux-the command line and its utilities-and does so very well. Its strongest points are the outstanding use of examples, and the Command Reference section. Highly recommended for Linux users of all skill levels. Well done to Mark Sobell and Prentice Hall for this outstanding book! -Dan Clough, Electronics Engineer and Slackware Linux User Totally unlike most Linux books, this book avoids discussing everything via GUI and jumps right into making the power of the command line your friend. -Bjorn Tipling, Software Engineer, ask.com This book is the best distro-agnostic, foundational Linux reference I've ever seen, out of dozens of Linux-related books I've read. Finding this book was a real stroke of luck. If you want to really understand how to get things done at the command line, where the power and flexibility of free UNIX-like OSes really live, this book is among the best tools you'll find toward that end. -Chad Perrin, Writer, TechRepublic I currently own one of your books, A Practical Guide to Linux(R). I believe this book is one of the most comprehensive and, as the title says, practical guides to Linux I have ever read. I consider myself a novice and I come back to this book over and over again. -Albert J. Nguyen Thank you for writing a book to help me get away from Windows XP and to never touch Windows Vista. The book is great; I am learning a lot of new concepts and commands. Linux is definitely getting easier to use. -James Moritz I am so impressed by how Mark Sobell can approach a complex topic in such an understandable manner. His command examples are especially useful in providing a novice (or even an advanced) administrator with a cookbook on how to accomplish real-world tasks on Linux. He is truly an inspired technical writer! -George Vish II, Senior Education Consultant, Hewlett-Packard Company Overall, I think it's a great, comprehensive Ubuntu book that'll be a valuable resource for people of all technical levels. -John Dong, Ubuntu Forum Council Member, Backports Team Leader The JumpStart sections really offer a quick way to get things up and running, allowing you to dig into the details of the book later. -Scott Mann, Aztek Networks I would so love to be able to use this book to teach a class about not just Ubuntu or Linux but about computers in general. It is thorough and well written with good illustrations that explain important concepts for computer usage. -Nathan Eckenrode, New York Local Community Team Ubuntu is gaining popularity at the rate alcohol did during Prohibition, and it's great to see a well-known author write a book on the latest and greatest version. Not only does it contain Ubuntu-specific information, but it also touches on general computer-related topics, which will help the average computer user to better understand what's going on in the background. Great work, Mark! -Daniel R. Arfsten, Pro/ENGINEER Drafter/Designer I read a lot of Linux technical information every day, but I'm rarely impressed by tech books. I usually prefer online information sources instead. Mark Sobell's books are a notable exception. They're clearly written, technically accurate, comprehensive, and actually enjoyable to read. -Matthew Miller, Senior Systems Analyst/Administrator, BU Linux Project, Boston University Officeof Information Technology This is well written, clear, comprehensive information for the Linux user of any type, whether trying Ubuntu on for the first time and wanting to know a little about it, or using the book as a very good reference when doing something more complicated like setting up a server. This book's value goes well beyond its purchase price and it'll make a great addition to the Linux section of your bookshelf. -Linc Fessenden, Host of The LinuxLink TechShow, tllts.org The author has done a very good job at clarifying such a detail-oriented operating system. I have extensive Unix and Windows experience and this text does an excellent job at bridging the gaps between Linux, Windows, and Unix. I highly recommend this book to both 'newbs' and experienced users. Great job! -Mark Polczynski, Information Technology Consultant When I first started working with Linux just a short 10 years or so ago, it was a little more difficult than now to get going... Now, someone new to the community has a vast array of resources available on the web, or if they are inclined to begin with Ubuntu, they can literally find almost every single thing they will need in the single volume of Mark Sobell's A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux(R). I'm sure this sounds a bit like hyperbole. Everything a person would need to know? Obviously not everything, but this book, weighing in at just under 1200 pages, covers so much so thoroughly that there won't be much left out. From install to admin, networking, security, shell scripting, package management, and a host of other topics, it is all there. GUI and command line tools are covered. There is not really any wasted space or fluff, just a huge amount of information. There are screen shots when appropriate but they do not take up an inordinate amount of space. This book is information-dense. -JR Peck, Editor, GeekBook.org I have been wanting to make the jump to Linux but did not have the guts to do so-until I saw your familiarly titled A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) at the bookstore. I picked up a copy and am eagerly looking forward to regaining my freedom. -Carmine Stoffo, Machine and Process Designer to pharmaceutical industry I am currently reading A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) and am finally understanding the true power of the command line. I am new to Linux and your book is a treasure. -Juan Gonzalez Overall, A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux(R) by Mark G. Sobell provides all of the information a beginner to intermediate user of Linux would need to be productive. The inclusion of the Live DVD of the Gutsy Gibbon release of Ubuntu makes it easy for the user to test-drive Linux without affecting his installed OS. I have no doubts that you will consider this book money well spent. -Ray Lodato, Slashdot contributor, www.slashdot.org

Praise for Previous Editions of A Practical Guide to Fedoraa and Red Hat(R) Enterprise Linux(R) Since I'm in an educational environment, I found the content of Sobell's book to be right on target and very helpful for anyone managing Linux in the enterprise. His style of writing is very clear. He builds up to the chapter exercises, which I find to be relevant to real-world scenarios a user or admin would encounter. An IT/IS student would find this book a valuable complement to their education. The vast amount of information is extremely well balanced and Sobell manages to present the content without complicated asides and meandering prose. This is a 'must have' for anyone managing Linux systems in a networked environment or anyone running a Linux server. I would also highly recommend it to an experienced computer user who is moving to the Linux platform. --Mary Norbury, IT Director, Barbara Davis Center, University of Colorado at Denver, from a review posted on slashdot.org I had the chance to use your UNIX books when I when was in college years ago at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA. I have to say that your books are among the best! They're quality books that teach the theoretical aspects and applications of the operating system. --Benton Chan, IS Engineer The book has more than lived up to my expectations from the many reviews I read, even though it targets FC2. I have found something very rare with your book: It doesn't read like the standard technical text, it reads more like a story. It's a pleasure to read and hard to put down. Did I say that?! :-) --David Hopkins, Business Process Architect Thanks for your work and for the book you wrote. There are really few books that can help people to become more efficient administrators of different workstations. We hope (in Russia) that you will continue bringing us a new level of understanding of Linux/UNIX systems. --Anton Petukhov Mark Sobell has written a book as approachable as it is authoritative. --Jeffrey Bianchine, Advocate, Author, Journalist Excellent reference book, well suited for the sysadmin of a Linux cluster, or the owner of a PC contemplating installing a recent stable Linux. Don't be put off by the daunting heft of the book. Sobell has striven to be as inclusive as possible, in trying to anticipate your system administration needs. --Wes Boudville, Inventor A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) is a brilliant book. Thank you, Mark Sobell. --C. Pozrikidis, University of California at San Diego This book presents the best overview of the Linux operating system that I have found... [It] should be very helpful and understandable no matter what the reader's background: traditional UNIX user, new Linux devotee, or even Windows user. Each topic is presented in a clear, complete fashion and very few assumptions are made about what the reader knows... The book is extremely useful as a reference, as it contains a 70-page glossary of terms and is very well indexed. It is organized in such a way that the reader can focus on simple tasks without having to wade through more advanced topics until they are ready. --Cam Marshall, Marshall Information Service LLC, Member of Front Range UNIX Users Group [FRUUG], Boulder, Colorado Conclusively, this is THE book to get if you are a new Linux user and you just got into RH/Fedora world. There's no other book that discusses so many different topics and in such depth. --Eugenia Loli-Queru, Editor in Chief, OSNews.com Praise for Other Books by Mark G. Sobell This book is a very useful tool for anyone who wants to 'look under the hood' so to speak, and really start putting the power of Linux to work. What I find particularly frustrating about man pages is that they never include examples. Sobell, on the other hand, outlines very clearly what the command does and then gives several common, easy-to-understand examples that make it a breeze to start shell programming on one's own. As with Sobell's other works, this is simple, straightforward, and easy to read. It's a great book and will stay on the shelf at easy arm's reach for a long time. --Ray Bartlett, Travel Writer Overall I found this book to be quite excellent, and it has earned a spot on the very front of my bookshelf. It covers the real 'guts' of Linux--the command line and its utilities--and does so very well. Its strongest points are the outstanding use of examples, and the Command Reference section. Highly recommended for Linux users of all skill levels. Well done to Mark Sobell and Prentice Hall for this outstanding book! --Dan Clough, Electronics Engineer and Slackware Linux User Totally unlike most Linux books, this book avoids discussing everything via GUI and jumps right into making the power of the command line your friend. --Bjorn Tipling, Software Engineer, ask.com This book is the best distro-agnostic, foundational Linux reference I've ever seen, out of dozens of Linux-related books I've read. Finding this book was a real stroke of luck. If you want to really understand how to get things done at the command line, where the power and flexibility of free UNIX-like OSes really live, this book is among the best tools you'll find toward that end. --Chad Perrin, Writer, TechRepublic I currently own one of your books, A Practical Guide to Linux(R). I believe this book is one of the most comprehensive and, as the title says, practical guides to Linux I have ever read. I consider myself a novice and I come back to this book over and over again. --Albert J. Nguyen Thank you for writing a book to help me get away from Windows XP and to never touch Windows Vista. The book is great; I am learning a lot of new concepts and commands. Linux is definitely getting easier to use. --James Moritz I am so impressed by how Mark Sobell can approach a complex topic in such an understandable manner. His command examples are especially useful in providing a novice (or even an advanced) administrator with a cookbook on how to accomplish real-world tasks on Linux. He is truly an inspired technical writer! --George Vish II, Senior Education Consultant, Hewlett-Packard Company Overall, I think it's a great, comprehensive Ubuntu book that'll be a valuable resource for people of all technical levels. --John Dong, Ubuntu Forum Council Member, Backports Team Leader The JumpStart sections really offer a quick way to get things up and running, allowing you to dig into the details of the book later. --Scott Mann, Aztek Networks I would so love to be able to use this book to teach a class about not just Ubuntu or Linux but about computers in general. It is thorough and well written with good illustrations that explain important concepts for computer usage. --Nathan Eckenrode, New York Local Community Team Ubuntu is gaining popularity at the rate alcohol did during Prohibition, and it's great to see a well-known author write a book on the latest and greatest version. Not only does it contain Ubuntu-specific information, but it also touches on general computer-related topics, which will help the average computer user to better understand what's going on in the background. Great work, Mark! --Daniel R. Arfsten, Pro/ENGINEER Drafter/Designer I read a lot of Linux technical information every day, but I'm rarely impressed by tech books. I usually prefer online information sources instead. Mark Sobell's books are a notable exception. They're clearly written, technically accurate, comprehensive, and actually enjoyable to read. --Matthew Miller, Senior Systems Analyst/Administrator, BU Linux Project, Boston University Officeof Information Technology This is well written, clear, comprehensive information for the Linux user of any type, whether trying Ubuntu on for the first time and wanting to know a little about it, or using the book as a very good reference when doing something more complicated like setting up a server. This book's value goes well beyond its purchase price and it'll make a great addition to the Linux section of your bookshelf. --Linc Fessenden, Host of The LinuxLink TechShow, tllts.org The author has done a very good job at clarifying such a detail-oriented operating system. I have extensive Unix and Windows experience and this text does an excellent job at bridging the gaps between Linux, Windows, and Unix. I highly recommend this book to both 'newbs' and experienced users. Great job! --Mark Polczynski, Information Technology Consultant When I first started working with Linux just a short 10 years or so ago, it was a little more difficult than now to get going... Now, someone new to the community has a vast array of resources available on the web, or if they are inclined to begin with Ubuntu, they can literally find almost every single thing they will need in the single volume of Mark Sobell's A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux(R). I'm sure this sounds a bit like hyperbole. Everything a person would need to know? Obviously not everything, but this book, weighing in at just under 1200 pages, covers so much so thoroughly that there won't be much left out. From install to admin, networking, security, shell scripting, package management, and a host of other topics, it is all there. GUI and command line tools are covered. There is not really any wasted space or fluff, just a huge amount of information. There are screen shots when appropriate but they do not take up an inordinate amount of space. This book is information-dense. --JR Peck, Editor, GeekBook.org I have been wanting to make the jump to Linux but did not have the guts to do so--until I saw your familiarly titled A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) at the bookstore. I picked up a copy and am eagerly looking forward to regaining my freedom. --Carmine Stoffo, Machine and Process Designer to pharmaceutical industry I am currently reading A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) and am finally understanding the true power of the command line. I am new to Linux and your book is a treasure. --Juan Gonzalez Overall, A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux(R) by Mark G. Sobell provides all of the information a beginner to intermediate user of Linux would need to be productive. The inclusion of the Live DVD of the Gutsy Gibbon release of Ubuntu makes it easy for the user to test-drive Linux without affecting his installed OS. I have no doubts that you will consider this book money well spent. --Ray Lodato, Slashdot contributor, www.slashdot.org

Praise for Previous Editions of A Practical Guide to Fedora(t) and Red Hat(R) Enterprise Linux(R) Since I'm in an educational environment, I found the content of Sobell's book to be right on target and very helpful for anyone managing Linux in the enterprise. His style of writing is very clear. He builds up to the chapter exercises, which I find to be relevant to real-world scenarios a user or admin would encounter. An IT/IS student would find this book a valuable complement to their education. The vast amount of information is extremely well balanced and Sobell manages to present the content without complicated asides and meandering prose. This is a 'must have' for anyone managing Linux systems in a networked environment or anyone running a Linux server. I would also highly recommend it to an experienced computer user who is moving to the Linux platform. --Mary Norbury, IT Director, Barbara Davis Center, University of Colorado at Denver, from a review posted on slashdot.org I had the chance to use your UNIX books when I when was in college years ago at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA. I have to say that your books are among the best! They're quality books that teach the theoretical aspects and applications of the operating system. --Benton Chan, IS Engineer The book has more than lived up to my expectations from the many reviews I read, even though it targets FC2. I have found something very rare with your book: It doesn't read like the standard technical text, it reads more like a story. It's a pleasure to read and hard to put down. Did I say that?! :-) --David Hopkins, Business Process Architect Thanks for your work and for the book you wrote. There are really few books that can help people to become more efficient administrators of different workstations. We hope (in Russia) that you will continue bringing us a new level of understanding of Linux/UNIX systems. --Anton Petukhov Mark Sobell has written a book as approachable as it is authoritative. --Jeffrey Bianchine, Advocate, Author, Journalist Excellent reference book, well suited for the sysadmin of a Linux cluster, or the owner of a PC contemplating installing a recent stable Linux. Don't be put off by the daunting heft of the book. Sobell has striven to be as inclusive as possible, in trying to anticipate your system administration needs. --Wes Boudville, Inventor A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) is a brilliant book. Thank you, Mark Sobell. --C. Pozrikidis, University of California at San Diego This book presents the best overview of the Linux operating system that I have found... [It] should be very helpful and understandable no matter what the reader's background: traditional UNIX user, new Linux devotee, or even Windows user. Each topic is presented in a clear, complete fashion and very few assumptions are made about what the reader knows... The book is extremely useful as a reference, as it contains a 70-page glossary of terms and is very well indexed. It is organized in such a way that the reader can focus on simple tasks without having to wade through more advanced topics until they are ready. --Cam Marshall, Marshall Information Service LLC, Member of Front Range UNIX Users Group [FRUUG], Boulder, Colorado Conclusively, this is THE book to get if you are a new Linux user and you just got into RH/Fedora world. There's no other book that discusses so many different topics and in such depth. --Eugenia Loli-Queru, Editor in Chief, OSNews.com Praise for Other Books by Mark G. Sobell This book is a very useful tool for anyone who wants to 'look under the hood' so to speak, and really start putting the power of Linux to work. What I find particularly frustrating about man pages is that they never include examples. Sobell, on the other hand, outlines very clearly what the command does and then gives several common, easy-to-understand examples that make it a breeze to start shell programming on one's own. As with Sobell's other works, this is simple, straightforward, and easy to read. It's a great book and will stay on the shelf at easy arm's reach for a long time. --Ray Bartlett, Travel Writer Overall I found this book to be quite excellent, and it has earned a spot on the very front of my bookshelf. It covers the real 'guts' of Linux--the command line and its utilities--and does so very well. Its strongest points are the outstanding use of examples, and the Command Reference section. Highly recommended for Linux users of all skill levels. Well done to Mark Sobell and Prentice Hall for this outstanding book! --Dan Clough, Electronics Engineer and Slackware Linux User Totally unlike most Linux books, this book avoids discussing everything via GUI and jumps right into making the power of the command line your friend. --Bjorn Tipling, Software Engineer, ask.com This book is the best distro-agnostic, foundational Linux reference I've ever seen, out of dozens of Linux-related books I've read. Finding this book was a real stroke of luck. If you want to really understand how to get things done at the command line, where the power and flexibility of free UNIX-like OSes really live, this book is among the best tools you'll find toward that end. --Chad Perrin, Writer, TechRepublic I currently own one of your books, A Practical Guide to Linux(R). I believe this book is one of the most comprehensive and, as the title says, practical guides to Linux I have ever read. I consider myself a novice and I come back to this book over and over again. --Albert J. Nguyen Thank you for writing a book to help me get away from Windows XP and to never touch Windows Vista. The book is great; I am learning a lot of new concepts and commands. Linux is definitely getting easier to use. --James Moritz I am so impressed by how Mark Sobell can approach a complex topic in such an understandable manner. His command examples are especially useful in providing a novice (or even an advanced) administrator with a cookbook on how to accomplish real-world tasks on Linux. He is truly an inspired technical writer! --George Vish II, Senior Education Consultant, Hewlett-Packard Company Overall, I think it's a great, comprehensive Ubuntu book that'll be a valuable resource for people of all technical levels. --John Dong, Ubuntu Forum Council Member, Backports Team Leader The JumpStart sections really offer a quick way to get things up and running, allowing you to dig into the details of the book later. --Scott Mann, Aztek Networks I would so love to be able to use this book to teach a class about not just Ubuntu or Linux but about computers in general. It is thorough and well written with good illustrations that explain important concepts for computer usage. --Nathan Eckenrode, New York Local Community Team Ubuntu is gaining popularity at the rate alcohol did during Prohibition, and it's great to see a well-known author write a book on the latest and greatest version. Not only does it contain Ubuntu-specific information, but it also touches on general computer-related topics, which will help the average computer user to better understand what's going on in the background. Great work, Mark! --Daniel R. Arfsten, Pro/ENGINEER Drafter/Designer I read a lot of Linux technical information every day, but I'm rarely impressed by tech books. I usually prefer online information sources instead. Mark Sobell's books are a notable exception. They're clearly written, technically accurate, comprehensive, and actually enjoyable to read. --Matthew Miller, Senior Systems Analyst/Administrator, BU Linux Project, Boston University Officeof Information Technology This is well written, clear, comprehensive information for the Linux user of any type, whether trying Ubuntu on for the first time and wanting to know a little about it, or using the book as a very good reference when doing something more complicated like setting up a server. This book's value goes well beyond its purchase price and it'll make a great addition to the Linux section of your bookshelf. --Linc Fessenden, Host of The LinuxLink TechShow, tllts.org The author has done a very good job at clarifying such a detail-oriented operating system. I have extensive Unix and Windows experience and this text does an excellent job at bridging the gaps between Linux, Windows, and Unix. I highly recommend this book to both 'newbs' and experienced users. Great job! --Mark Polczynski, Information Technology Consultant When I first started working with Linux just a short 10 years or so ago, it was a little more difficult than now to get going... Now, someone new to the community has a vast array of resources available on the web, or if they are inclined to begin with Ubuntu, they can literally find almost every single thing they will need in the single volume of Mark Sobell's A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux(R). I'm sure this sounds a bit like hyperbole. Everything a person would need to know? Obviously not everything, but this book, weighing in at just under 1200 pages, covers so much so thoroughly that there won't be much left out. From install to admin, networking, security, shell scripting, package management, and a host of other topics, it is all there. GUI and command line tools are covered. There is not really any wasted space or fluff, just a huge amount of information. There are screen shots when appropriate but they do not take up an inordinate amount of space. This book is information-dense. --JR Peck, Editor, GeekBook.org I have been wanting to make the jump to Linux but did not have the guts to do so--until I saw your familiarly titled A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) at the bookstore. I picked up a copy and am eagerly looking forward to regaining my freedom. --Carmine Stoffo, Machine and Process Designer to pharmaceutical industry I am currently reading A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) and am finally understanding the true power of the command line. I am new to Linux and your book is a treasure. --Juan Gonzalez Overall, A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux(R) by Mark G. Sobell provides all of the information a beginner to intermediate user of Linux would need to be productive. The inclusion of the Live DVD of the Gutsy Gibbon release of Ubuntu makes it easy for the user to test-drive Linux without affecting his installed OS. I have no doubts that you will consider this book money well spent. --Ray Lodato, Slashdot contributor, www.slashdot.org

Praise for Previous Editions of A Practical Guide to Fedoraa and Red Hat(R) Enterprise Linux(R) Since I'm in an educational environment, I found the content of Sobell's book to be right on target and very helpful for anyone managing Linux in the enterprise. His style of writing is very clear. He builds up to the chapter exercises, which I find to be relevant to real-world scenarios a user or admin would encounter. An IT/IS student would find this book a valuable complement to their education. The vast amount of information is extremely well balanced and Sobell manages to present the content without complicated asides and meandering prose. This is a 'must have' for anyone managing Linux systems in a networked environment or anyone running a Linux server. I would also highly recommend it to an experienced computer user who is moving to the Linux platform. --Mary Norbury, IT Director, Barbara Davis Center, University of Colorado at Denver, from a review posted on slashdot.org I had the chance to use your UNIX books when I when was in college years ago at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA. I have to say that your books are among the best! They're quality books that teach the theoretical aspects and applications of the operating system. --Benton Chan, IS Engineer The book has more than lived up to my expectations from the many reviews I read, even though it targets FC2. I have found something very rare with your book: It doesn't read like the standard technical text, it reads more like a story. It's a pleasure to read and hard to put down. Did I say that?! :-) --David Hopkins, Business Process Architect Thanks for your work and for the book you wrote. There are really few books that can help people to become more efficient administrators of different workstations. We hope (in Russia) that you will continue bringing us a new level of understanding of Linux/UNIX systems. --Anton Petukhov Mark Sobell has written a book as approachable as it is authoritative. --Jeffrey Bianchine, Advocate, Author, Journalist Excellent reference book, well suited for the sysadmin of a Linux cluster, or the owner of a PC contemplating installing a recent stable Linux. Don't be put off by the daunting heft of the book. Sobell has striven to be as inclusive as possible, in trying to anticipate your system administration needs. --Wes Boudville, Inventor A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) is a brilliant book. Thank you, Mark Sobell. --C. Pozrikidis, University of California at San Diego This book presents the best overview of the Linux operating system that I have found... [It] should be very helpful and understandable no matter what the reader's background: traditional UNIX user, new Linux devotee, or even Windows user. Each topic is presented in a clear, complete fashion and very few assumptions are made about what the reader knows... The book is extremely useful as a reference, as it contains a 70-page glossary of terms and is very well indexed. It is organized in such a way that the reader can focus on simple tasks without having to wade through more advanced topics until they are ready. --Cam Marshall, Marshall Information Service LLC, Member of Front Range UNIX Users Group [FRUUG], Boulder, Colorado Conclusively, this is THE book to get if you are a new Linux user and you just got into RH/Fedora world. There's no other book that discusses so many different topics and in such depth. --Eugenia Loli-Queru, Editor in Chief, OSNews.com Praise for Other Books by Mark G. Sobell This book is a very useful tool for anyone who wants to 'look under the hood' so to speak, and really start putting the power of Linux to work. What I find particularly frustrating about man pages is that they never include examples. Sobell, on the other hand, outlines very clearly what the command does and then gives several common, easy-to-understand examples that make it a breeze to start shell programming on one's own. As with Sobell's other works, this is simple, straightforward, and easy to read. It's a great book and will stay on the shelf at easy arm's reach for a long time. --Ray Bartlett, Travel Writer Overall I found this book to be quite excellent, and it has earned a spot on the very front of my bookshelf. It covers the real 'guts' of Linux--the command line and its utilities--and does so very well. Its strongest points are the outstanding use of examples, and the Command Reference section. Highly recommended for Linux users of all skill levels. Well done to Mark Sobell and Prentice Hall for this outstanding book! --Dan Clough, Electronics Engineer and Slackware Linux User Totally unlike most Linux books, this book avoids discussing everything via GUI and jumps right into making the power of the command line your friend. --Bjorn Tipling, Software Engineer, ask.com This book is the best distro-agnostic, foundational Linux reference I've ever seen, out of dozens of Linux-related books I've read. Finding this book was a real stroke of luck. If you want to really understand how to get things done at the command line, where the power and flexibility of free UNIX-like OSes really live, this book is among the best tools you'll find toward that end. --Chad Perrin, Writer, TechRepublic I currently own one of your books, A Practical Guide to Linux(R). I believe this book is one of the most comprehensive and, as the title says, practical guides to Linux I have ever read. I consider myself a novice and I come back to this book over and over again. --Albert J. Nguyen Thank you for writing a book to help me get away from Windows XP and to never touch Windows Vista. The book is great; I am learning a lot of new concepts and commands. Linux is definitely getting easier to use. --James Moritz I am so impressed by how Mark Sobell can approach a complex topic in such an understandable manner. His command examples are especially useful in providing a novice (or even an advanced) administrator with a cookbook on how to accomplish real-world tasks on Linux. He is truly an inspired technical writer! --George Vish II, Senior Education Consultant, Hewlett-Packard Company Overall, I think it's a great, comprehensive Ubuntu book that'll be a valuable resource for people of all technical levels. --John Dong, Ubuntu Forum Council Member, Backports Team Leader The JumpStart sections really offer a quick way to get things up and running, allowing you to dig into the details of the book later. --Scott Mann, Aztek Networks I would so love to be able to use this book to teach a class about not just Ubuntu or Linux but about computers in general. It is thorough and well written with good illustrations that explain important concepts for computer usage. --Nathan Eckenrode, New York Local Community Team Ubuntu is gaining popularity at the rate alcohol did during Prohibition, and it's great to see a well-known author write a book on the latest and greatest version. Not only does it contain Ubuntu-specific information, but it also touches on general computer-related topics, which will help the average computer user to better understand what's going on in the background. Great work, Mark! --Daniel R. Arfsten, Pro/ENGINEER Drafter/Designer I read a lot of Linux technical information every day, but I'm rarely impressed by tech books. I usually prefer online information sources instead. Mark Sobell's books are a notable exception. They're clearly written, technically accurate, comprehensive, and actually enjoyable to read. --Matthew Miller, Senior Systems Analyst/Administrator, BU Linux Project, Boston University Officeof Information Technology This is well written, clear, comprehensive information for the Linux user of any type, whether trying Ubuntu on for the first time and wanting to know a little about it, or using the book as a very good reference when doing something more complicated like setting up a server. This book's value goes well beyond its purchase price and it'll make a great addition to the Linux section of your bookshelf. --Linc Fessenden, Host of The LinuxLink TechShow, tllts.org The author has done a very good job at clarifying such a detail-oriented operating system. I have extensive Unix and Windows experience and this text does an excellent job at bridging the gaps between Linux, Windows, and Unix. I highly recommend this book to both 'newbs' and experienced users. Great job! --Mark Polczynski, Information Technology Consultant When I first started working with Linux just a short 10 years or so ago, it was a little more difficult than now to get going... Now, someone new to the community has a vast array of resources available on the web, or if they are inclined to begin with Ubuntu, they can literally find almost every single thing they will need in the single volume of Mark Sobell's A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux(R). I'm sure this sounds a bit like hyperbole. Everything a person would need to know? Obviously not everything, but this book, weighing in at just under 1200 pages, covers so much so thoroughly that there won't be much left out. From install to admin, networking, security, shell scripting, package management, and a host of other topics, it is all there. GUI and command line tools are covered. There is not really any wasted space or fluff, just a huge amount of information. There are screen shots when appropriate but they do not take up an inordinate amount of space. This book is information-dense. --JR Peck, Editor, GeekBook.org I have been wanting to make the jump to Linux but did not have the guts to do so--until I saw your familiarly titled A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) at the bookstore. I picked up a copy and am eagerly looking forward to regaining my freedom. --Carmine Stoffo, Machine and Process Designer to pharmaceutical industry I am currently reading A Practical Guide to Red Hat(R) Linux(R) and am finally understanding the true power of the command line. I am new to Linux and your book is a treasure. --Juan Gonzalez Overall, A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux(R) by Mark G. Sobell provides all of the information a beginner to intermediate user of Linux would need to be productive. The inclusion of the Live DVD of the Gutsy Gibbon release of Ubuntu makes it easy for the user to test-drive Linux without affecting his installed OS. I have no doubts that you will consider this book money well spent. --Ray Lodato, Slashdot contributor, www.slashdot.org

Author Information

Mark G. Sobell is President of Sobell Associates Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in UNIX and Linux training, support, and custom software development. He has more than twenty-five years of experience working with UNIX and Linux systems and is the author of many best-selling books, including A Practical Guide to Linux (R) Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming, Second Edition, and A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux (R), Third Edition, both from Prentice Hall.

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